27 Vic. c. 20. may from time to time be framed by the Inspector, and approved of by the Governor in Council. Any member of No member of Force who shall not repair to Hospital when sick shall be entitled to pay while absent from duty. Station Houses to be established in Grant's Town Distribution authorized to obtain services of four persons Metropolitan or other Police from some IX. That whenever proper accommodation shall be made either in the building aforesaid or elsewhere for the establishment of a Hospital, every member of the Police Force stationed in the Island of New Providence, or who being elsewhere stationed, shall arrive in the said Island, shall be entitled, when sick, to be accommodated in such Hospital. X. That no member of the Police Force, serving in the Island of New Providence, who having absented himself from his duty on the ground of illness shall not repair to the said Hospital within twelve hours thereafter, shall be entitled to draw his pay while absent from duty. XI. That in addition to the Station House in Parliament Street, in the City of Nassau, another Police Station shall be established in Grant's Town, or its vicinity, and also one in the Eastern district of the Island of New Providence, and the expense of procuring sites for the Station Houses last aforesaid shall be defrayed out of the Public Treasury, by warrant in the usual manner: Provided, however, that the costs of the two said sites shall not exceed in the whole the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds. XII. That the distribution of the Police Force between the Station Houses aforesaid shall from time to time be regulated by the Inspector. XIII. That it shall be lawful for the Governor, from time to to be regulated time, and he is hereby authorized, as far as practicable, to obtain by Inspector. for the said Police Force the services of four persons belonging to, Governor or who have served in, some Metropolitan or other Police Force in the United Kingdom, and to appoint them as Sergeants and Corporals under this Act, and all expenses attending the procuring of such persons or other duly qualified men from the United Kingdom, and of their passage to the Colony, and their reasonable fit out on entering the service, shall be defrayed out of the Public Treasury of the Colony, by warrant in the usual manner: Provided, however, that no person enlisted in the Police Force in the United Kingdom, shall be so enlisted for less than five years: Provided, however, that the age of any person engaged or enlisted under this clause shall not exceed forty-five years, and that every person before being engaged be examined by some competent defrayed out of physician who shall certify to the person obtaining his services for or on behalf of the Colony that he is free from organic disease and is physically qualified to serve as a Police Constable. Force in the United Kingdom to be ap pointed Sergeants and Corporals. Passage and fit out to be Public Trea sury. Extra allow ance of one shilling per diem to Sergeants, Corporals or Constables of the first class XIV. That whenever any Sergeant, Corporal, or Constable of the first class, stationed in the Island of New Providence, shall be sent to or stationed at any other part of the Colony, there shall be allowed and paid to such Sergeant, Corporal or Constable, an allowance at and after the rate of one shilling per diem, payable to such Sergeant, Corporal, or Constable, out of the Public Treasury of these Islands, by warrant, in the usual manner, for so many when stationed days as such Sergeant, Corporal, or Constable shall be absent from the said Island of New Providence. at Out-Islands. Appointment XV. That it shall be lawful for the Governor to appoint by of Physician to commission under the Seal at Arms, a duly qualified person to act as physician to the said Police Force, who shall hold his office Police Force authorized. during pleasure, and shall receive the salary in the Schedule B. to 27 Vic. c. 20. this Act annexed. Force. XVI. That it shall be the duty of the said physician to inspect Duty of Phyand subject to a medical examination all men entering the said sician to Police force within the Colony, and to make a report on their state of health and physical condition to the inspector; and it shall also be the duty of the said physician to give all necessary medical and surgical aid, skill and attendance to any member of the said force who may be at the time in the Island of New Providence, and who may, from illness or other causes, require his professional services, and for that purpose it shall be the duty of the said physician, from time to time, to attend at the private residence of such member of the force, or at such other place in which such member may be at and during the time the services of such physician are required, and also daily to visit any hospital established under this Act. XVII. That the inspector and other members of the said Inspector, force, and the physician, shall be entitled, in addition to the sala- members of ries by this Act attached to their respective offices, to receive the Police Force following increased rates of pay, that is to say: for over five years to receive inand Physician, during which any such officer shall have held his office, if the creased resalary attached thereto by this Act shall not exceed one hundred muneration acpounds, ten per centum on the amount thereof, and for every cording to their higher sum, seven and a half per cent.: Provided that such in- length of creased rates shall only be paid to the non-commissioned officers and constables, on the production of certificates of good conduct from the inspector, or other officer for the time being, in charge of the Force. service. XVIII. That no person shall be appointed to the said Force Qualification who cannot read distinctly and write legibly, and every member and duty of of the said Force shall be sworn before a Justice of the Peace, or Constables. by and before the inspector, to act as a constable for the entire Colony, in preserving the peace, and for preventing the commission, and for discovering and detecting the perpetrators of felonies, and other criminal offences, and for apprehending the offenders therein; and they shall respectively have all such powers, authorities, privileges and advantages, and shall be liable to all such duties and responsibilities as constables now have or hereafter may be invested with, either by the Common Law or by virtue of any Act of the General Assembly, or Statute of the Imperial Parliament, now or hereafter to be in force within these Islands: Provided always, that if any questions shall arise as to the right of any inspector, sergeant, corporal, or constable, to hold or execute any such office respectively, common reputation shall, to all intents and purposes, be deemed and held to be sufficient evidence of such right, and it shall not be necessary to produce any appointment or any oath, affidavit, or other document or matter whatsoever, or prove any qualification in support of such right. vernment of XIX. And in order to provide for one uniform system of rules Rules to be and regulations throughout the whole establishment of police in made for the said Bahama Islands: Be it enacted, that the inspector shall general gofrom time to time, subject to the approbation of the Governor in the Force. Council for the time being, frame such orders and regulations as he shall deem expedient for the general government of the said Police Force, their distribution and inspection, the description of 27 Vic. c. 20. arms, accoutrements, and other necessaries to be furnished to them, their attendance in barrack and admission into and regulations while in hospital, also for providing medicines and medical attendance to men stationed at an out-island; and all such orders and regulations relative to the said Police Force as the said inspector shall from time to time deem expedient for preventing neglect or abuse, and for rendering such force efficient in the discharge of all its duties; and the inspector may at any time suspend from his employment any man belonging to the said Police Force whom he shall think remiss or negligent in the discharge of his duty, or otherwise unfit for the same; and shall thereupon notify the fact, with the cause of such suspension, to the Governor for confirmation or otherwise, as to the said Governor shall seem right and proper; and when any man shall be so suspended, or otherwise cease to belong to the said Police Force, all powers vested in him as constable, by virtue of this or any other Act, shall immediately cease and determine. Power of In spector to suspend Constables. Constables not to resign without permission or notice. Constables, on dismissal or resignation, to give up arms, &c. XX. That no sergeant, corporal, or constable, to be appointed under this Act, shall be at liberty to resign his office or withdraw himself from the duties thereof unless expressly authorized so to do in writing by the inspector, or unless he shall give to such inspector six months' notice of his intention so to resign or withdraw; and if any such sergeant, corporal, or constable shall so resign or withdraw himself without such previous permission or notice, he shall for such offence forfeit and pay a penalty not exceeding five pounds, on conviction before any one Justice of the Peace, and shall also forfeit all arrears of pay which shall be due to him at the time of conviction; and it shall and may be lawful for such Justice, in case such penalty should not be paid, to commit such person to prison for any period not exceeding thirty days, there to be kept at hard labour; and all penalties so to be levied shall be paid to the Receiver-General of these Islands, to be applied and accounted for the purposes of this Act: Provided, however, that the right to resign on giving six months' notice shall not apply to men who have entered under the thirtieth section, all of whom shall be bound to serve for the period for which they have enlisted. XXI. That when any member of the said Police Force shall be dismissed from, or shall otherwise cease to hold and exercise, his office, all powers and authorities vested in him under this Act or otherwise shall immediately cease and determine, to all intents and purposes whatever; and if he shall not within twenty-four hours after he shall be dismissed from, or cease to hold and exercise, his office, deliver over all and every the arms, ammunition and accoutrements, clothing, and other appointments whatsoever, which may have been supplied to him for the execution of such office, to such person, and at such time and place, as shall be directed by the inspector, he shall, upon proof thereof before a Justice of the Peace, be subject and liable to imprisonment in any lawful prison for any period not exceeding thirty days, and to be there kept at hard labour, as such Justice of the Peace may in his discretion direct; and it shall be lawful for such Justice of the Peace, and he is hereby authorized and required to commit every such offender accordingly, and to issue his warrant to search for and seize all and singular the arms, ammunition, accoutrements, clothing, and other appointments whatsoever which shall not have 27 Vic. c. 20. been so delivered over, as aforesaid, wherever the same shall be found. misconduct. XXII. That if any member of the said Police Force shall be Penalties on guilty of any neglect or violation of duty in his office, or shall Constables' neglect or refuse to obey and execute any warrant duly delivered to him for execution, or shall violate or neglect to carry out any of the orders and regulations, framed as hereinbefore mentioned, or shall refuse or neglect to obey any other order lawfully issued by the inspector, or other his superior officer, or shall be guilty of any other misconduct in his office, he shall for every such offence, on conviction thereof before a Justice of the Peace, forfeit and pay a penalty not exceeding five pounds, and the amount of such penalty shall and may be deducted from and out of any salary accruing due to such offender, upon a certificate thereof to be by the Justice, before whom the conviction takes place, transmitted to the Receiver-General and Treasurer of the Colony; and it shall and may be lawful for such Justice, in case such penalty shall not be paid, to commit such person to any lawful prison for any period not exceeding thirty days, to be kept to hard labour. dress. XXIII. That if any person, not appointed or acting under this Penalty on Act, shall have in his possession any arms or ammunition, or any persons not article of clothing, accoutrements, or appointments, supplied to appointed having in possesany person under this Act, and shall not be able satisfactorily to sion Police account for his possession thereof, or shall put on, or assume the arms, &c., or dress, name, designation, or description of any person or persons, assuming the or any class of persons, appointed under this Act, for the purpose of unduly obtaining admission into any house or other place, or of doing, or procuring to be done, any other act which such person or persons so putting on or assuming such dress, name, designation, or description, would not by law be entitled to do, or procure to be done, of his or their own authority, every such person so offending shall, in addition to any other punishment to which he may be liable for such offence, forfeit and pay for every such offence any sum not exceeding ten pounds, to be recovered by distress and sale of the goods and chattels of such offender, on conviction before a Justice of the Peace, or, in default of payment thereof, shall be imprisoned, with hard labour, for any period not exceeding three months; and every such penalty shall be paid over to the said Receiver-General and Treasurer, to be applied and accounted for to the purposes of this Act. XXIV. That in case of the dismissal of any person entitled to any salary under this Act, and the imposition upon him of any fine or penalty under the provisions of this Act, it shall be lawful to retain and deduct the amount thereof from and out of the salary due to such person at the time of his dismissal. Fines of dismissed Policemen may be deducted from pay due. count of XXV. That all fines imposed on any member of the said Police Fines and Force under this Act, and all penalties recovered under this Act, penalties to be on any summary conviction or otherwise, shall be paid to the carried to acReceiver-General and Treasurer of the Colony, and be carried by Police Reward him to a separate account, so that the same may form a fund, to Fund. be called the "Police Reward Fund;" and the said Receiver- Applications of General and Treasurer shall deduct, if the Governor shall think Reward Fund. fit so to order, any proportion not exceeding the rate of one-half per centum for the year on the amount of the respective salaries wards and Rules for granting Re Pensions. 27 Vic. c. 20. by this Act granted, and add the same to the said Reward Fund; and the said Reward Fund shall be appropriated for such rewards, gratuities, bounties, pensions, or other allowances, as the Governor may from time to time award to persons belonging to the Police, or who may have served therein, and contributed to the said fund for not less than two years, or the widows and families of any such person after his death; and the following rules shall be observed in granting any such rewards, gratuities, bounties, pensions, or other allowances; that is to say, when the person applying for the same shall be under sixty years of age, it shall not be granted unless he be incapable, from infirmity of mind or body to discharge the duties of his office, which incapacity must be certified by the physician to the Police Force; or if the person be stationed at an out-island, by such medical practitioner as the Governor may direct to inspect the party, and report; in which case, if he shall have served with diligence and fidelity for ten years, it shall be lawful to grant him an annual sum not exceeding one-third of his pay; if above ten years and not less than fifteen, a sum not exceeding half of his pay; if above twenty years, a sum not exceeding two-thirds of his pay; and when the person applying shall be above sixty years of age, and he shall have served fifteen years or upwards, it shall be lawful, although there shall be no certificate of incapacity, from infirmity or injury, of body or mind, to grant him, by way of superannuation, an annual sum not exceeding two-thirds of the pay attached to his office; if sixty-five years of age or upwards, and he shall have served thirty years or upwards, a sum not exceeding three-fourths of the pay attached to his office; and if sixty-five years of age or upwards, and he shall have served forty years, a sum not exceeding the whole of his pay: Provided that, if any such person shall be disabled by wound, or injury received, or by disease contracted while in the actual execution of the duty of his office, it shall be lawful to grant him such monthly or yearly allowance or remuneration as may, in the opinion of the Governor, be proportionate to the nature of the injury received, without reference to the length of service, not exceeding, however, the one-half of such person's pay. Every such monthly or yearly superannuation allowance may at any time be commuted for a gratuity, payable at once, at such rate as the Governor may direct. If any person shall unlawfully leave the force, or be dismissed therefrom, he shall forfeit all claim on the said fund unless, under very special circumstances, the Governor shall otherwise order and direct. Interest to be allowed on Reward Fund. XXVI. That it shall be lawful for the Receiver-General and Treasurer, and he is hereby required to allow interest on the accumulations of the said Police Reward Fund at and after the rate of five pounds per centum per annum, and the account of such fund shall be made up, with interest, as aforesaid, to the thirty-first day of December in each year, and the balance of principal and interest shall be carried to the credit of the fund for the ensuing year; and such balance shall be the sum on which interest, as aforesaid, shall be chargeable for such ensuing year; and it shall be the duty of the Receiver-General and Treasurer to make a statement in detail, and to lay the same annually before the House of Assembly of the said "Police Reward Fund." |